


The Red Sands of Bedrosia

by Antares



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode 19 “New Ground”, Episode Related, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, POV Jack, Season: 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-26
Updated: 2013-11-26
Packaged: 2018-01-02 17:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1059568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antares/pseuds/Antares
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack remembers the mission to Bedrosia</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Red Sands of Bedrosia

**Author's Note:**

> Many, many thanks to my wonderful beta Shazz!  
> Written For: lunabee34 in the J/D ficathon 2013  
> Prompt: 1. one change from canon (author's choice) 2. hurt/comfort  
> Restriction #1: no character bashing

A soft breeze from the ocean was caressing Jack’s skin. He was stretched out on a thick, fluffy beach towel, relaxing. It was very peaceful, the lazy lapping of the waves on the shore, and Daniel’s soft snoring the only discernible noises at the moment. Daniel was only a few inches away, lying on his own towel, on his back, offering lots and lots of still white skin to Jack’s eyes. Only his face and his arms were tanned. A small frown was creasing his face, and Jack hoped that the dreams weren’t too bad. But then Daniel suddenly smiled and Jack felt much better. 

Jack’s hand went to the tray on his right where he’d put his cocktail made with fresh fruit and white rum – and a tiny pink umbrella. Daniel had smirked, his eyes had danced with suppressed laughter when the bartender had given him his drink. Okay, perhaps he had made a funny face and complained a bit too loudly that he didn’t feel like the umbrella type. But it had been worth it to see Daniel smile. And Jack had to admit that the drink with the fancy name tasted formidable once he had removed the pink monstrosity. 

His team had tricked him to come to this lovely Tahitian hotel because a Jack O’Neill didn’t need holidays in a beach resort, no, thank you very much. But they had told him that it was what Daniel needed. Only on the plane they had discovered that they had baited Daniel with the same trick; he thought he was doing Jack a favor by accompanying him. Both had laughed about the finesse of their team members and decided to make the best of this week. After all, it wasn’t a hardship to spend your days loafing around, and to be treated to great food and wine, and all that in the company of your favorite person. 

Jack put his drink down and his fingers played absentmindedly with the fine, white sand, letting it trickle through his fingers. A soothing feeling. Warm, soft … and harmless. Exactly as sand should look and feel like. 

But suddenly the color of the sand changed. It wasn’t white anymore, it was red. And there was lots of it, square miles of red, hot sand. Large flat plains with sunburned earth, pointy rocks, long dried-up river beds and blazing hot winds. The unforgiving Red Desert of Bedrosia. It looked like Mars with the occasional sand dune thrown in. And it was absolutely hostile to life. 

The memories came flooding back with a vengeance, and suddenly the heat under the umbrella felt oppressive … 

  

\-----------------------------------------------------------

Jack awoke in one of those ridiculous, much too small cages they used to keep their prisoners in. He was disoriented for a second, but then he saw the grey tarpaulin walls of the prison tent, and he knew exactly where he was. He was on Bedrosia, in the hands of Commander Rigar, one of the most obstinate and pig-headed men he had met in a long time. Rigar had seen the Stargate in action, had spoken to people from another world, and yet he believed that all of it was some type of psychological warfare from his enemies on Optrica to undermine the basic beliefs of his people. Beliefs which were utterly wrong, but because they were mixed with religion it was so hard to go against them. 

For a second Jack mused over the injustice of the fact that the Stargate was situated on the wrong continent of that planet. With the Optricans it would have been so much easier. They believed that humans had been brought to the planet by aliens that travelled through the Stargate. They would have been really pleased to meet them and especially Teal’c who must be the epitome of ‘alien’ to them. 

But no, they had ended up in the hands of Rigar who was convinced that Nefertum had created the planet, the continent, and all the people on it. And of course he was right, with the small but decisive difference that Nefertum had been a Goa’uld, and Rigar’s ancestors his slaves to serve him. The Bedrosians had very conveniently forgotten that part during the last millennia. 

Jack sighed and forced his sore muscles to stretch a bit, as far as the small cage allowed. His neck was killing him, lying for hours against metal bars in a very crumpled and unnatural position wasn’t the right thing for his aging bones. His gaze wandered to the cages beside him – and the next second he was wide awake. Daniel’s and Carter’s cages were empty! 

Where had this son of a bitch taken them this time while he had been out? The first time Daniel had come back rather triumphantly because Rigar’s minions had dug out the DHD. That was very good news, with the DHD they didn’t have to rely any longer only on the naquadah generator they had brought with them to go home. 

But then Carter had been interrogated, and then him, and then Daniel again, and nothing good had come out of these interrogations, only pain and a bloody lip when one of the guards had struck him for mouthing off to Rigar. So where were Carter and Daniel now? Rigar must know that they would never admit that there had been a fourth person with them. What new type of torture had he found to make his team finally give in? 

“Hey!” Jack called to the silent guards who were watching him impassively. “Where is my team?” 

No answer. 

“You! Tin soldier! *I* am in command. So whatever it is you want to discuss, I’m the right person to talk to. Capito? Come on! Let me talk to Rigar or whomever he reports to.” 

The guards would have perfectly fitted in with the guys with the high furry hats in front of Buckingham Palace, the way he rested absolutely unperturbed and stoic. Jack cursed. He kept up yelling and insulting the men, but to no avail. He stopped when he realized that he was getting hoarse. But not talking, not searching for creative ways to provoke his captors, was even worse. Because now his whole attention was concentrated on the fact that it had been already hours that Daniel and Carter had been gone. Not a good sign. Damn. 

Another two interminable hours later. four guards entered the prison tent. Jack was really on the edge by now. His causal slouch didn’t betray him, but he felt like ants were crawling through his veins, felt like a volcano ready to explode. And now that finally something was happening, it took all his willpower to reign in his need to lash out and land a perfect hook directly on the chubby chin of one of the haughtily looking bastards. But to be rendered unconscious again would do no good, and so Jack balled his hands to fists and took a deep breath. They put manacles on his wrists and brought him to Rigar’s tent. 

The first thing Jack noticed was some sort of small Egyptian shrine that looked absolutely out of place. Rigar was prostrated before the picture of a young man with an oversized blue lotus flower on his head. 

“Nefertum, I assume”, Jack said when Rigar got to his feet and turned around to acknowledge his entry. Nefertum. Son of Sakhmet, blue lotus blossom. That's who you believe created you? He heard Daniel’s voice in his head as clear as if he were standing at his side. 

“Yes, Nefertum. Creator and guardian-protector of our world.” Rigar bowed his head solemnly. “I asked him for advice and he bestowed upon me the wisdom of his great mind.” 

“He did?” Jack pulled up incredulously one eyebrow. “But you didn’t listen, did you?” he sighed, “Otherwise you’d simply let us go and cover up this whole incident. No proof, no harm done, and you can continue to believe whatever you want.” 

Rigar shook his head. “It’s too late for that. The seed of doubt has spread already. The archaeologists question the truth of the old faith and even my aide has already been infected by this disbelief. No, there’s only one way to prove that Nefertum is right.” 

Jack had a bad feeling. He swallowed in his suddenly too dry throat and asked hesitantly, “This hasn’t got anything to do with my team mates gone missing for the whole day now, has it?” 

“It has. Trial by ordeal.” Rigar bowed reverently to the painting of Nefertem and turned back to Jack. “We brought your team to the Red Desert. If they survive, their innocence is proven and you’re free to go. They…” 

“Innocence? What the hell are you talking about? They didn’t commit any crime! What are you accusing them of?” Jack shouted. 

“They are liars! I know that you are Optricans disguised as off-worlders to destabilize our society. The ordeal will show that clearly.” 

“You’re out of your mind!” ‘Red Desert’ didn’t sound like a place where you wanted to stay for any longer than absolutely necessary. And this whole ‘until their innocence is proven’ stuff sounded even worse. Then another thought occurred to Jack. “Why them? Why not me? Wouldn’t it be better to subject the team leader to something like that?” 

“Blue is Nefertum’s color – and their eyes are the color of the lotus blossom.” 

Jack gaped. “That’s it? A random eye color? You can’t be serious. This … arbitrary decision will make it to the top ten of my list of prejudices.” He felt furious and helpless at the same time. He had too often dealt with small minded swelled heads like Rigar to realize that they wouldn’t accept logical arguments. The eye color was only a pretense to justify his actions. He could have easily decided to make him and Daniel the victims because they were men, or Carter because she was blonde, or Daniel because he needed glasses … in the heads of these nutjobs everything made sense once they had decided that it was god’s will. 

Jack really would have loved to bang his fist into a wall, or preferably Rigar’s face. But he called upon all the meditation techniques Teal’c had tried to teach him. It wouldn’t help if he lost his temper. It was better to learn everything there was about the Red Desert, because Teal’c was still somewhere out there, and hopefully anytime now he’d come to their rescue. Until then, every minor detail could be important when they mounted their search party. Therefore Jack schooled his features into a mask of resignation and asked calmly, “What does this trial involve?” 

“They were brought to the middle of the Red Desert. If they find their way out alive, Nefertem has been merciful on them...” 

  \--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Daniel stirred in his sleep. “Jack?” he mumbled only half-awake. 

“I’m here. I’m going nowhere because it’s my job to turn you around from to time so you don’t get roasted merely on one side,” he teased. 

“I’m lying in the shade, I don’t get sunburned. Not anymore,” Daniel answered and sighed deeply. 

No, he wouldn’t go there. Not while Daniel was still half-asleep. He asked instead, “Turn around a bit, would you?” Jack maneuvered himself into a sitting position and put his hand on Daniel’s arm pushing lightly. It was such a relief to be able to feel the warm skin under his fingers, have the proof that Daniel was alive and well. 

“Bossy, even during the holidays,” Daniel complained good-naturedly but did as Jack said. He rolled onto his stomach and rested his head on his left arm, without opening his eyes.  
“Happy now?” A smile was playing around his lips. 

“Very.” Jack tousled his hair and slumped back onto his own towel. 

“Good. Give me ten more minutes to wake up properly, and then I’ll follow you – even to the water for more snorkeling.” Daniel yawned and cuddled deeper into his beach towel. 

“Deal.” Jack grinned and watched Daniel fall into a light sleep once more. Obviously, his audience with his archaeologist was over for the moment.

  \--------------------------------------------------------------- 

Before the waiting could kill Jack, or Jack could kill Rigar, Teal’c and Nyan freed him. Nyan had contacted his scientific colleagues on Bedrosia *and* Optrica, had called in all the favors he owned, and Teal’c had agreed to a question and answer session in the main Optrican university once this all was over. They had managed to land the cloaked Optrican shuttlecraft in the middle of the prison tents, overpower the guards, and cut through the tarpaulin to liberate Jack. 

“This is why you don’t have tents for prisoners,” Jack said instead of a proper greeting. 

Then he told Teal’c, Nyan, and the accompanying scientists what he had learned about the fate of Daniel and Carter, and they took the shuttlecraft to the Red Desert. 

The wind had obliterated every trace that there might have been, but they found some pebbles arranged in the form of an arrow – and that was so classical paragraph seven in the ‘How to survive in a desert’ handbook that Jack felt a wave of relief pass through him. But that relief dissipated quickly when he remembered that most of the other paragraphs were useless, because Rigar wouldn’t have given them rations, water, or a pot and some foil to collect water during the night. 

Their only chance was to find them as soon as possible. Daniel and Carter had already spent a night and a day out there and the evening was fast approaching. If they followed the handbook they would rest throughout the hottest and the coldest hours and walk in the mornings and the evenings. 

Jack made Nyan stay on the shuttlecraft. Although to search the desert from air was not easy now that the element of surprise with the Optrican shuttlecraft was gone. He and Teal’c started in the direction the arrow pointed, keeping contact with the shuttlecraft. 

The next hours were some of the worst in Jack’s life, highlighted only by finding an arrow from time to time. During the walk he had enough time to imagine worst case scenarios. He had to force himself to repeat again and again that Carter and Daniel were trained for survival in hostile conditions and that Daniel had a lot of experience with deserts from his archaeological digs. 

When the next morning came and they still hadn’t found them, Jack’s fear that this time around they might have overtaxed their luck became more oppressive with every passing minute. Then he chided himself that his anxiety must be nothing in comparison to Daniel and Carter fighting for their lives. But he couldn’t shut down his brain that told him exactly how much time had already elapsed, how their chances were getting slimmer by the minute. 

“There is no point in anticipating the worst,” Teal’c told him. “We will know what to do when we find them.” 

Too bad he wasn’t an ex-Jaffa so he couldn’t confront the situation with the same stoicism as his big warrior friend. Instead, his mind was constantly providing him with regrets for missed occasions, things he should have done while there was still time, words better uttered while Daniel was still... No. Stop. No jinxing. Jack shook his head. “You’re right, Teal’c. We should save our energy for finding them.”

“I already do O’Neill.” 

“Of course you do.” Jack felt thankful that Teal’c’s sight had been restored to full capacity, and that Junior had healed him so that he was at Jack’s side during this search. 

And when they finally found them around noon, huddled together in the spare shade of a rock that didn’t really earn this name, it wasn’t over yet. Elation at having found them, coupled with fear that they wouldn’t survive, dehydrated and delirious as they were, followed each other within seconds. They looked horrible with their sunburned faces and arms where the t-shirts ended because Rigar’s men had taken their jackets. Their lips were dry and chapped, their skin cold and feverish at the same time and their heart and respiration rate heavily increased. Teal’c signaled the shuttlecraft to pick them up. Once inside, Jack and Teal’c administered an IV injection and fluids, spending the next minutes watching anxiously if it worked. 

When Daniel finally opened his eyes and asked, “Jack?“, Jack felt like he could embrace the whole world, but he didn’t start with Daniel because Daniel looked much too fragile. He simply took his hand and squeezed it. “I’m here, Daniel.” 

The rest was rather astonishingly easy then. They landed the shuttlecraft directly in front the DHD and, before the Bedrosians realized what was happening, they had dialed the gate and returned home to the SGC, bringing Nyan who didn’t feel like going back to Bedrosia. 

Daniel and Carter were transported directly into the infirmary and only later did Dr. Frasier confirm that it had been a close call. But they were both fighters and they survived. Again. 

Sitting in his office and reading the reports, Jack realized how touch-and-go it had been – and that they wouldn’t be always so lucky. This mission had shown again that there wasn’t even the confirmation that they would die together, because one idiot was enough to separate them. The danger that one of them would have to live without the other was very real. This knowledge was nothing new to him, but until now he had always shrugged, pushed it away, and carried on. 

The events on Bedrosia instead felt like the last misplaced wooden block in a game of Jenga that had brought the whole tower tumbling down. Jack felt … mortal – a feeling he didn’t like at all. Time was flying and he had to make up his mind if he wanted to change something in his life, and answer truthfully for himself dozens of questions about things he had taken for granted so far. A frightening prospect, one that he’d so far had chickened out on. 

  \--------------------------------------------------------------- 

Jack came back to the present when he was hit by a frisbee. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” said the young woman who came to fetch it. “I hope it didn’t hurt you? Or spilled your drink?” 

“No, everything is fine.” Jack gave her a reassuring smile and she disappeared with another apology. 

“What happened?” Daniel asked, opening one eye. 

“Nothing. I only got hit by a wayward mini-UFO.” Jack turned to Daniel. “And you? Awake now?” 

“And raring to go,” Daniel stretched languorously and wriggled his ass. 

Jack was sure that Daniel didn’t realize how sexy that looked or otherwise he wouldn’t have done it. His fingers itched to touch Daniel’s skin. Since Bedrosia it had become worse. He knew that it wasn’t only his wish to make that sure that Daniel was alive; after all, he had eyes and could see he was fine. No, this need to touch, to let his fingers linger, to hug and feel Daniel’s body wrapped all around him went much deeper. It was like a constant longing now - making him feel warm and happy on good days, driving him nuts with despair and frustration on bad days. 

There was a long scar on Daniel’s back where one of the guards had hit him hard when Daniel had tried to plead with them to leave them their jackets. The scar was still red, and Jack took a handful of sand and trickled it on the scar. 

“Ugly, I know,” Daniel said without opening his eyes. 

“No!” Jack hadn’t meant to hide the scar, pretending it wasn’t there. “No. Scars aren’t ugly. They show how dangerous our profession is.” When Daniel only raised one mocking eyebrow he continued, “They are proof of the sacrifices you make to ensure that all the people on Earth are safe. Each scar tells a story of an enemy you defeated. There’s no room for aesthetic considerations. A scar is a symbol for success.”

Daniel sighed. “Maybe, but it looks… ugly nevertheless.” 

“Hey,” he gave Daniel’s leg a little push with his foot, “I’ll win hands down if we start counting scars. And do you really want to say that I’m ugly?” Jack tried to give Daniel a stern look, but ruined it with a grin. 

“If you put it like that...” Daniel shuffled a bit closer to Jack’s towel. 

“Hm... I won you over with my logic,” Jack said smugly. He put his hand on Daniel’s back and brushed the sand carefully away, making sure that no grains remained. He let his fingers linger much longer than necessary which earned him a smile from Daniel. 

And an utterly disgusted look from the man on the next beach towel. 

With a sharp jolt Jack realized that his touch could be mistaken for a sexual advance. And he was in a place where everybody could see him. Years and years of training and conditioning came back in a rush. His heartbeat accelerated, and a silent ‘crap’ echoed in his brain. He was on the verge of pulling his hand back when he remembered that Mister Disgusted had been ogling every woman on the beach although his wife was sitting directly beside him. He had even put a towel on his groin area and sneaked his hand under it, when a young couple had started necking and kissing in the warm water. Jack was sure that the guy had gotten off while watching. 

And now he dared to judge him? Play the moralizer because Daniel was a man? Hot indignation washed over Jack. For a timeless moment everything was on the edge. He could pull his hand back and pretend nothing had happened or he could... perhaps this was *the* moment? If he dared... he wanted... so badly… 

“It feels good.” 

The softly spoken words registered in the turmoil of Jack’s brain, and he felt like something in him burst free. Pent up frustration, which he’d been carrying inside him for so long, was boiling over, and the realization that Daniel liked his touch made him reckless. 

“Let the scumbag think whatever he likes!” Jack inclined his head and pressed his lips to Daniel’s slightly parted lips. He felt nauseated and absolutely high at the same time. He wasn’t afraid that he had totally misjudged or misread the situation, but perhaps it was too early, too much, or too public? When Daniel finally responded, two, three, four, agonizing seconds later, licking with his tongue over Jack’s lower lip, his body flooded with endorphins.

Yes! Thank god, yes! Daniel was on the same page. Relief and overwhelming joy rushed through Jack’s whole body. Daniel wanted this. Daniel wanted him. Daniel kissed him back. Looked like he finally had found a good fairy who had granted him is wish. For a second Jack felt dizzy, unable to decide on which sense to concentrate. Daniel’s eager lips, his scent mingled with suntan lotion, his soft groans, or the fingers that were now brushing over his cheek and making him groan himself. ‘How about all of the above?’ Jack thought. 

But much too soon Daniel stopped and asked very reasonably, “Don’t you think we should take this to our bungalow?” Pushing Jack at arm’s length and before he could answer the not so rhetorical question, Daniel asked with the typical crease between his brows, which made him look all the more kissable in Jack’s opinion, “Uhm... what made you do this all of a sudden? And on a public beach no less – not that I’m complaining,” he hastened to add with a little reassuring smile.

“He did,” Jack replied and indicated their ‘Why-didn’t-he-look-away-if-he-was-so-disgusted-with-this-display-of-affection’ neighbor with a tiny movement of his chin. 

Daniel turned around, took a quick glance at the man, whose thin lips were pressed together in indignation, and turned back to Jack. “Do you want me to go over and explain a few things to him?” he asked looking much too eager. 

“Uhm… what exactly to do want to explain to him?” Jack didn’t know if Daniel was only teasing him, or if he would follow through with his plan. 

“I would lecture him about the importance of strong bonds between men who are defending his deplorable, unworthy ass on a daily basis,” Daniel answered sweetly. 

“I bet you would.” Jack laughed and his index finger painted a small circle on Daniel’s hand. “Strong bonds, huh?” He hesitated and then he added more earnestly, “I think I feel much more for you.” Okay, he had said it. Not the L-word, but very close to it. And it didn’t feel as awkward as he had always feared it would. It felt rather nice, to tell the truth. Like a big weight had been lifted from his shoulders and some things had fallen into place. 

“Wow! Jack!” The tips of Daniel’s ears got red, which looked absolutely cute – not that Jack would ever mention it to Daniel. He could already imagine Daniel’s reaction. “You really mean it, don’t you?” 

“No, I’m running around making confessions like this as hobby. Of course, I mean it, silly.” 

“Okay. I earned that.” He sat up cross legged, and gave Jack a goofy smile. “Oh, wow… I... I feel like it’s really bungalow time.” A shit eating grin split Daniel’s face and he slowly and very deliberately put his right hand on his chest and fondled his left nipple between his index and middle finger, caressing and squeezing it until it was hard after only a few seconds. 

Jack stared and then he burst out in a carefree laugh. “I’ll take that challenge”, he informed his grinning friend – and soon to be lover. With a fat, happy, unspoken ‘Yeah!’ he got to his feet and extended his hand to Daniel. 

Daniel took the hand and when he was standing directly in front of Jack he simply said, “Thank you.” 

“Uhm... yes.” Only Daniel was able to put so much meaning in two little words. ‘You’re welcome’ felt much too inadequate, so Jack said instead, “We should gather our stuff.” He waved with his hand to the towels where books, a newspaper, a bottle with suntan lotion and Daniel’s glasses were strewn. 

On the way back to their bungalow Jack put his hand in the small of Daniel’s back, not guiding or pushing him, but simply establishing a contact. 

“Already possessive, huh?” Daniel half turned around and gave him a questioning, smirking look over his glasses. 

“Oh, yes.” And just because he felt like he was now allowed to do so, Jack glided lower with his hand and squeezed one of Daniel’s strong ass muscles.

“Wait until the door of our room is closed behind us,” Daniel promised with a husky voice. 

Oh, yes. Peaceful and relaxing were for sissies. With every fiber of his being, Jack wanted the second half of these holidays to be sweaty, exhausting, and full of new discoveries. 

When Daniel sank down on his knees and pulled down Jack’s swimming trunks the moment they had closed the door behind them, Jack knew that he and Daniel were on absolutely the same wave length... 

 

\------------THE END---------

©Antares, September 2013

**Author's Note:**

> There are some quotes from: http://stargate-sg1-solutions.com/wiki/3.19_%22New_Ground%22_Transcript


End file.
